Almost 4 minutes of actual BG play in 1951 movie

[MK]

The Mating Season (1951) with Thelma Ritter & Gene Tierney

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=P-c94k3vlVM

At 1:05 two ladies are playing BG actually rolling dice and moving
pieces, making comments about each roll and each moves, while
chatting in between.

The game is cut short when doughter-in-law (Gene Tierney) walks
away after mother-in-law accuses her of cheating... :)

If you like old B&W movies without blood splattering, without foul
language like mother fucking cock sucking scumbags, etc. ;) this
one is a wonderful movie to watch from beginning to end. Enjoy!

MK

[peps...@gmail.com]

I like this post.
I saw the backgammon scene but not the whole movie.
Assuming the producers and writers didn't know much about backgammon,
they seem to have researched it really well.
The scene refers to the somewhat technical rule that you're not allowed to pick up
your dice before completing the checker play.

Paul

[MK]

On January 3, 2024 at 6:00:01 PM UTC-7, peps...@gmail.com wrote:

> On Thursday, January 4, 2024 at 12:51:16 AM UTC, MK wrote:

>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=P-c94k3vlVM
>> At 1:05 two ladies are playing BG actually rolling dice and moving
>> pieces, making comments about each roll and each moves, while
>> chatting in between.

> Assuming the producers and writers didn't know much about
> backgammon, they seem to have researched it really well.

Why would you assume that? It's hard to see the board clearly
and I'm not sure if the moves are legal and/or match the rolls
but the comments sound to aim at making it all look realistic
even for viewers who may not know anything about the game.

> The scene refers to the somewhat technical rule that you're not
> allowed to pick up your dice before completing the checker play.

Yes and it was artfully used to create a confrontation scene. I
don't know much about the history of gamblegammon in the U.S.
Could it be used in the movie because it was already popular in
1951 or because it's a more spectable game than cards etc.?

If it was popular at all in 1951, would it be so only among high
society, (perhaps thus including movie producers, actors, etc.),
and gamblers or also popular among general population?

MK

[Timothy Chow]

On 1/3/2024 11:45 PM, MK wrote:
> On January 3, 2024 at 6:00:01 PM UTC-7, peps...@gmail.com wrote:
>> Assuming the producers and writers didn't know much about
>> backgammon, they seem to have researched it really well.
>
> Why would you assume that? It's hard to see the board clearly
> and I'm not sure if the moves are legal and/or match the rolls
> but the comments sound to aim at making it all look realistic
> even for viewers who may not know anything about the game.

In fact, the first roll was apparently a 45, but the player
clearly moves only one checker, and that checker is moved
less than 9 pips. But that has less to do with the screenwriter
and more to do with the director.

---
Tim Chow

[peps...@gmail.com]

Just to clarify, the "first roll" was the first roll of the scene, not the opening roll of the game.
[Clarifying for the sake of others reading (if any). I know that you (Tim) realise this.]
I did look at this scene very many times (things are kind of slow at work in the New Year)
and I saw it differently (though certainly not "clearly").
I thought the younger woman put two fingers on two nearby checkers and moved them both
with one hand motion.

Paul

[Timothy Chow]

On 1/4/2024 2:37 PM, peps...@gmail.com wrote:
> I thought the younger woman put two fingers on two nearby checkers and moved them both
> with one hand motion.

Hmmm...okay, looking at it again, I think you're right! I retract
my previous remark.

---
Tim Chow

[MK]

On January 4, 2024 at 12:37:14 PM UTC-7, peps...@gmail.com wrote:

> I thought the younger woman put two fingers
> on two nearby checkers and moved them both
> with one hand motion.

Good eye Peps. Indeed she slides two checkers
from her 14 and 15 points and makes her 10 point
in one move.

Considering how the other lady played the "box
cars" as 13/1(2) in one swoop, I would guess that
they knew how to play beyond just having prepared
for their roles. They sure didn't move the pieces by
tapping on each point while counting the pips. :)

MK

[peps...@gmail.com]

Small sample size for sure, but this does seem to fit a pattern, like when you missed
Praggnanandhaa's draw offer in another thread.

Paul

[peps...@gmail.com]

I think it's far more likely that everything or almost everything they
learned about backgammon was while preparing for their roles.
That's exactly what actors do.
The percentage of people who can move the pieces competently like
experienced players is very close to zero.

They didn't move the pieces by tapping on each point because they were
_acting_ as experienced players, but they were acting.

Paul

[Timothy Chow]

On 1/5/2024 3:19 PM, peps...@gmail.com wrote:
> I think it's far more likely that everything or almost everything they
> learned about backgammon was while preparing for their roles.
> That's exactly what actors do.
> The percentage of people who can move the pieces competently like
> experienced players is very close to zero.
>
> They didn't move the pieces by tapping on each point because they were
> _acting_ as experienced players, but they were acting.

I agree with Paul. But it does suggest that the director cared enough
about authenticity to ensure that the actors behaved convincingly.
I find that somewhat remarkable. Maybe WIRED needs to create a video,
"Backgammon champ breaks down backgammon scenes from film & TV." Like
this one for chess:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWo68KgwQzE

---
Tim Chow